Senator Mar Roxas yesterday stressed that the truth about the national broadband network controversy and the abduction of Senate witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. must come out, but any change in the country’s leadership should be done through Constitutional means.

“I am for the Constitution and the rule of law and opposed to any extra-constitutional undertaking. The only thing that separates us from anarchy is the law, otherwise the rule of the gun will reign at the expense of our democracy and economy,” Roxas told the DAILY STAR in a telephone interview.

An anti-coup army unit was deployed throughout Metro Manila yesterday as opposition forces increased street protests calling for Arroyo's resignation over alleged corruption.

"It will form part of our operational readiness and contingencies to prevent any attempts to power grab," Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa told reporters in Manila.

Roxas, who made a brief stop in Negros Occidental after a visit to Negros Oriental, met with local government officials and visited Gov. Joseph Marañon, who is ill at his home at Santa Clara Subdivision in Bacolod City.

“Palangga ko guid si (I am very fond of) Gov. Marañon, I was happy to see him, he was in high spirits and cracked jokes,” Roxas said.

Roxas stressed that it is within the rights of those in the Church as apostolic shepherds to advise the people to seek the truth.

It is important that the truth on anomalies and the abduction of Lozada is revealed, he said.

Lozada yesterday filed a case of kidnapping and attempted murder at the Department of Justice against police and government officials allegedly responsible for his abduction at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on his return to the Philippines from Hong Kong on Feb. 5.

Lozada named PNP Chief Avelino Razon, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, Angel Atutubo – NAIA assistant general manager, Police Security and Protection Office chief Romeo Hilomen, Col. Paul Mascariñas - PSPO assistant director, retired Senior Police Officer 4 Rodolfo Valeroso, and several John Does in the case he filed.

What is clear is that there was an effort to cover up the abduction of Lozada and a demolition job was waged against him, Roxas said.

He said the Senate hearings have also unearthed alleged involvement of senior government officials in the NBN deal and in the Lozada abduction but no judgment has been reached yet, the process has to be completed.

Roxas, in a speech on law and development before students of Silliman University in Dumaguete City on Thursday, said “In our recent times, we see a disconnection in how, instead of being beneficiaries of the law, people feel victims of the law. Because in reality, those sworn to uphold the law are themselves breaking the law”.

In the ZTE-NBN deal, he said, the procurement laws that require bidding were bypassed, and so we have an overpriced contract for something we don’t really need.

“Then comes the abduction of Jun Lozada and the synchronized cover-up afterwards. What does it show us, but a government not upholding the law?” he said.  

“If we are to heal our country, we are in need of leaders who will not only safeguard the law, but make sure that these laws reflect values of an evolving society, not to stagnate it for vested interests,” he stressed.

ZERO VAT ON OIL

Roxas yesterday reiterated that he is calling on Congress to summon enough political will to suspend the value-added tax on oil and petroleum products.

The senator has said that the proposed suspension of the 12 percent VAT on oil, as proposed in Senate Bill No. 1962, would in a big way help ease inflation, which rose to a 15-month high of 4.9 percent in January, as consumer prices surged across all commodity groups.

"The suspension of the VAT on oil will definitely help restrain consumer price increases going forward, and extend direct and material relief to our people, particularly those getting fixed food producers, but also plain consumers," he said.

MEDICINES BILL

Roxas said he is also pushing for a swift settlement of House and Senate differences on the Quality Affordable Medicines Bill to ensure its immediate passage into law.

Roughly 90 percent of the bill has already been agreed on, he said.

Roxas said the only remaining provision for the bicameral committee to thresh out was on an amendment sought to the Generics Law.

While the House members want a "generics-only" provision that would prohibit doctors from writing brand names in prescriptions, Senators fear this may merely shift the selection of brands from the doctor to the drugstore, Roxas reiterated.

MEETING WITH MAYORS

Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante, president of the Negros Occidental Association of Chief Executives, said Roxas met with him, Bago Mayor Ramon Torres and San Carlos Mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the residence of Violy Montelibano in Bacolod City over breakfast yesterday.

He told us he is running presumably for president in 2010 and asked us for our support, Escalante said.

“We told him that we want to help him because he is a Negrense,” Escalante said.*CPG

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